


Forever and Always (If You'll Let Me?)

by limarieee



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Marriage Proposal, but he's fine tho, except mostly fluff, implied depression?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 17:09:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14773718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limarieee/pseuds/limarieee
Summary: Based off the Tumblr prompt: "Killian is reluctant to propose to Emma because he knows she deserves the best and he isn't sure if that's with a one-handed pirate like him, especially in light of everything he put her through (in season 5). Emma finds out and decides to propose to him instead."





	Forever and Always (If You'll Let Me?)

There were many times where he was so close to just popping the question.

Somehow, though, each time to Killian just wasn’t the right one. Emma, on the other hand, was about to explode from the anticipation and excitement only to be let down when he would “chicken out.” She can’t really blame him, though. She was the same way after she watched her true love die before her eyes in the alternate universe and couldn’t even bring herself to tell him how she truly felt.

And so, she waits.

After five weeks of each failed attempt of his (he may be a pirate, but he certainly isn’t sneaking), Emma gives up on waiting and tries to figure out why he couldn’t ask the damn question.

That’s how she finds herself on her knees, digging through his sea chest that he kept on his side of their bed. Underneath some jackets, jewels, and such, she finds an old, leathery, worn-out journal. As she opens it, she is careful as to not tear any pages. Normally, she would feel bad about this, knowing how she would feel if someone invaded her privacy. But, she couldn’t help herself. She makes her way to the most recent dates, the last entry being her birthday (a few days ago) and starts reading:

> _October 23, 2017_
> 
> _Today is Emma’s birthday. With help from Henry (of course), I tried to surprise her with breakfast-in-bed and everything those cheesy couples like to do in those movies she likes to watch. However, my main surprise was going to be her hand in marriage, if she even said yes. It’s been almost a year’s time since I’ve began this journey of proposal and I’ve gotten nowhere. Is it wrong of me for wanting it to be perfect for her? I don’t know, sometimes I just don’t feel like I’m worthy of her, of marriage, of a happy life. I mean I’m only a one-handed pirate, and she’s an actual princess. Aren’t royal proposals supposed to be extravagant and all? Maybe she does deserve someone better than me..._

She traced the little ovals of dried wetness that she assumed to be tears of his own that fell while writing it. _Oh, Killian,_ she though. He felt broken—torn apart inside—because he believed he needed some fancy way of proposing to her for her to actually say yes. She quickly put the old book back in its original spot and opened the little, fuzzy, black velvet box that sat next to it. Inside it was a beautiful silver ring—one that looked a lot like the one he gave to her in Camelot—and Emma couldn’t contain her gasp. She hustled the box closed and slipped it into her pocket. This could be the best idea of her life or the worst. _Here goes nothing._

It was two weeks later and thank the gods above he hasn’t noticed the missing ring yet. Killian knew something was off with Emma, though, that night. The way she talked little to not at all during their meal, or the way her body remained tense during the drive to the restaurant. It wasn’t until their walk to the docks he started to get really worried.

She stopped walking once they get to the edge of the dock, and she dropped knee by knee until she was sitting fully on the edge. Killian followed suit and was soon by her side with his armed draped around her shoulders. This is one of those moments where they just wanted to pause and stay there forever.

But, stubborn Emma didn’t listen to herself, per usual, and proceeded with her plan. She looked at him with the most innocent green eyes he’d ever seen and began to stand up. His eyebrow dipped as if in a questioning look and she only continued with her actions. Killian stared up at her with his big blue orbs, and it made her heart melt. Slowly, she put her left foot in front and bent down onto her knee. He was very confused at first, no doubt, but she persisted forth anyways.

“Killian Jones,” she began. “I know our story is one that no one expects they’ll ever have. One that, no matter how many hardships you face, you keep fighting ‘til the end, just because you know it’s worth it. I’ve been fighting my whole life: with my foster parents, with my own parents, even with myself. I was broken. And you, Killian Jones, put me back together. And not with tape, but with glue full of your love, a-and just…you.”

She took a deep sigh and removed the black box from her coat pocket. His eyes widened, and his words died upon his lips. She spoke for him, “I know you’ve been planning this for a while now, and that you’ve been too scared because you think you aren’t good enough for me when in fact you’re the one who put me back together. I love you, Killian Jones. Forever and always, that is, if you’ll let me?” As she shyly opened the velvet box, a grin spread across his face.

“Of course, Emma,” he replied, reaching down to pull her up.

“So, you’re not mad at me?” 

“Oh, Emma,” his voice was softer than before. “I could never be mad at you.” He leaned down and ghosted his pale pink lips over hers and whispered, “Although, shouldn’t I be the one asking you to marry me?” She giggled lightly, remembering almost the exact same lines they used when he said that about their first date.

“Should’ve known you’d be old fashioned given your age. What are you? Three-hundred?” He didn’t reply (verbally), only with a sly smirk and his classic wiggling of the eyebrows that she oh-so-loved when he did it.

Not that either of them were complaining, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I know this probably sucks, but oh well. :)


End file.
